Continued: Baggage check: Tips for buying the right luggage

Bright colors will make your luggage easier to identify among many other pieces of pieces of luggage on the baggage carousel of an airport or in the cargo hold of a bus.

Make the right match

Look for luggage that offers a good warranty. If a company is willing to offer a 10-year to lifetime warranty on their product, it’s more likely to offer a product that is sturdy enough to stand up over time.

Ethan Demby of Magellan’s Travel Supplies, an online luggage retailer, recommended that if you are not replacing a bag you already own and like with one of the same model, you should consider looking at the bag in person. This will help you to better determine whether it is the right size, whether it offers the kind of compartments or organization that you want, and whether it will be comfortable for you to carry. Magellan’s offers air travel-minded bags with padded compartments for electronics such as laptops and iPods for convenience of access while the bag is stowed under a seat during flight and for quick removal at security checkpoints.

Gold, of Tough Traveler, says that she often encourages people to bring items they are concerned about being able to pack with them when trying out bags in the store. “What you need to do most of all is find a bag that fits your travel style,” Gold says. “Not every bag is going to fit every person.”